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eMOLT Update 2023-08-25
This week’s update is a pretty short one. Teachers and students go
back to school in some towns on the Cape next week, so I’m taking the
afternoon off to spend some time with my wife (who’s a science teacher)
and kids.
The University of New Hampshire sent out a press
release describing an ongoing plankton bloom in the Gulf of Maine.
We have a few more dissolved oxygen loggers to put out in Maine to
support this effort. Erin will be down in Rhode Island for a hand off
sometime next week.
We’re continuing to work with a number of colleagues here at the
Northeast Fisheries Science Center to make more of our data publicly
available. Recently, we finished getting all of the CTD (Conductivity,
Temperature, Depth) profiles collected during our surveys out. The data
back to 1977 are now available here
and should automatically update as new surveys finish up.
Low DO areas in Cape Cod Bay appear to have receded or shifted over
the last week. Since removing the logger that was reading low near
Manomet, no other loggers in the area have documented low DO. DO
concentrations also appear to be slightly higher off Barnstable and
Wellfleet than they were previously, although very low DO concentrations
continue to be observed off Provincetown.

Forecasts
NECOFS Bottom Temperature Forecast


Doppio Bottom Temperature Forecast

Acknowledgements
Thanks to Capt. Dominic on the F/V Tyrant for checking in with us
about some issues with his deckbox. We’ll see what we can do remotely
over the next few days. Please feel free to call or text anytime you
have an issue with one of these systems. Your feedback, good or bad, is
what helps us keep improving. You can reach George at 508-299-9693 most
of the time.
Announcements
“We collaborated with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution on
a way to continue surveying Atlantic sea scallop populations in wind
energy areas. We’re thrilled that we’ve completed the first sea trials
on a new long-range autonomous underwater vehicle that can operate in
the lease areas. This vehicle carries HabCam—a stereo camera and sensor
system that is also used during our federal scallop survey. The AUV is
small, has all the necessary sensors and equipment used for surveying
scallops, and can be programmed. It’s an excellent option for collecting
the data and information we need inside wind energy lease areas. We’ve
also evaluated environmental monitoring planned by wind developers for
their projects. We found that as currently designed, developer
monitoring will not yield information to mitigate data lost from federal
surveys in offshore wind energy areas. To help wind developers enhance
their monitoring plans, we’ve provided a series of recommendations.
These recommendations will also contribute to improved regional
understanding of fishery resource responses to wind development.” -Jon
Hare, Ph.D., Director of NEFSC
All the best, George and JiM
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